ASK A COUNSELOR! (let's talk grad school interviews and finances)

Hello! Sit down with us as we discuss our experiences with interviewing for grad school and how to pay for it. If you are in the process of interviewing or applying for graduate programs, please let us know in the comments down below! You got this and I'm rooting for you!
TIMESTAMPS:
00:28- What motivated you to pursue a counseling career?
5:42- Is a psychology major required to apply for a counseling program?
6:12- Is taking the GRE required to apply for a counseling program?
6:40- Tip: Apply to counseling programs that offer a PPSC
7:04- Which schools did you apply to?
10:04- What other information or advice should new applicants know about picking a graduate school program?
11:26- What was your graduate school interview process like?
14:41- How did you finance the costs of graduate school?
17:25- What advice would you give to someone who is considering a career in counseling?
Thank you for watching! Happy holidays~
💝,
Judy
MUSIC
Music by Mr. Chase - Wild Cherry - thmatc.co/?l=46A927D5
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[@jessicale3921]

I watched this video during my first year of my Clinical Mental Health program in grad school and at that time I was having a major midlife (quartervlife??) crisis because I didn't know what I wanted to do with that degree and started to regret my decision. After watching this and your other videos, you made me consider school counseling and I eventually added a school counseling concentration to my program. I just started my first real school counseling position at a high school this week, and I love every bit of it, so I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for helping me through this journey and inspiring me to make the leap!!!

[@agalnamedasia]

Asking to sit in on a class...I would’ve never thought of that. Such a helpful tip!

[@heyjudywai]

Yay!! Best of luck with the interview and application process!! You got this!

[@victoriahernandez8757]

You guys are all so amazing! I’m submitting my first application for an MA in school counseling on Friday! 🤞🏼 so excited! :)

[@heyjudywai]

Ooo!! Exciting!! It feels so good to turn them in! You got this!! 🥰🥰

[@alyssa544]

this was INSANELY helpful! thank you

[@rosannaaragon6392]

I love your channel and these school counseling videos are amazing! Thank you all for taking the time to do this! :)

[@heyjudywai]

Wow, thank you so much for the support! 🥺💓💓

[@MoyitasLife]

This is beyond helpful! Thank you for organizing this!!

[@heyjudywai]

Thank you 🥺💖💖

[@brinleym4668]

I love that everyone is in California! I am in the Central Valley and completing my B.A in psych & looking to obtain my M.A in school counseling! Thank you for this video!

[@heyjudywai]

Hello from a fellow Bay Area counselor!! ♥️♥️

[@strawberryjuice97]

Hi Judy, it’s Miranda!! I’m sending in my applications this month and this was so helpful!! Thanks for doing this! ☺️

[@heyjudywai]

Yay!! Hi!! So excited for you to turn them in! Rooting for you :))

[@CaloNord]

Thanks for the great info! Applying for grad school again.

[@heyjudywai]

Nice!! Good luck with your applications!! You can do it! 💪🥳

[@allysonkittle3318]

Thank you for this! I am submitting my school counseling applications in the next 2 weeks and am so so so nervous but so excited! This provided a lot of insight :)

[@heyjudywai]

Yess!! Good luck! You got this!! ❤️❤️ you’ll get to relax soon!!

[@MonicaGonzalez-nu4fg]

Extremely helpful thank you!!!

[@deannatonn8570]

This is super helpful and appreciate the encouragement to go to a place you feel comfortable with too. I am currently a substitute teacher in Northern CA and now at 51 years old am applying for my masters in school counseling with Liberty University . Although they are in VA and will have to fly out for two weeks of intensives...I can do all of my other field work within the district I already work for. For me the discount for military spouses is really good and I'm already used to their program from getting an interdisciplinary degree with them online. Thank you for all of your information !!!!!

[@heyjudywai]

I’m glad you found a program that fits your needs and schedule. I’m excited for you to complete your application!! Best of luck to you and wishing you all the best!!

[@micaelamorgan8615]

Wow what a great idea! I never thought of mailing a physical card. That will surely make u stand put and show you put alot of thought and care into your thank you! Everyone emails a thank you but never physically mail one. It would have been a good idea to still email a thank you but mail a thank you as well. Postal mail take time which could be a good thing considering it's been 2 months since my interveiw!

[@gabbster5215]

Thank you for this video! I recently just submitted my grad application for school counseling. I am nervous about the interview process but, watching your videos gives me hope and confidence that I can do this :)

[@heyjudywai]

You CAN do this and you DID do this!!!! Excited for you!!!

[@albastudios2942]

Go Gabby!!!!

[@pinkcloud8182]

ahh i'm in the bay area too! i'm submitting my applications now and i'm really, really nervous but also excited. i don't really know what to expect as a first-gen student so i really appreciate you making these super helpful videos!

[@heyjudywai]

Yesss!! It's always nice to hear from locals :) Good for you with applying and submitting your applications!! Reach out if you have any questions about the career/your interview process!! I'm here to help!! :) You got this!! 🥰🤩

[@pinkcloud8182]

@@heyjudywai thank you so much!!

[@catherinemegs]

Wow! This is immensely informative. Thank you so much for this insight :-D

[@heyjudywai]

Yay! I’m glad you found it helpful :))

[@sandiamour_]

This was so helpful! Thank you so much ✨ My goal will be submitting my apps this week. I went to UCD and studied CRD too! Twinsies❤️

[@heyjudywai]

Omg!! Twinsies!! I love it! And yes! Love your goal! You got it!! Excited for you :)

[@A-bred4]

I interview this Friday the 18th! This was so helpful. Thank you so much for your videos ❣️

[@heyjudywai]

Good luck with your interview!!

[@shulachick18]

So helpful! Thank you

[@heyjudywai]

Thank you for watching!!

[@fordnguyen6588]

AHHH, I love your videos Judy!! I am applying to some of the schools you applied to, do you think I can contact you with additional questions?

[@heyjudywai]

Thank you!!! And yes! Absolutely! Email me at [e-mail] good luck with all your applications!! You got this 💯✨

[@nelsonwong7724]

Hi Judy! I really appreciate the insights you and your colleagues provided throughout this short and sweet podcast. As an undergraduate Sociology student interested in a school counseling career, I was wondering what opportunities you would recommend(or have been a part of) to build the skills necessary for the profession. Because I am currently on a gap year (hopefully entering SF State in the fall), I have been in a sort of limbo with the amount of time I suddenly have, but also feeling the pressure of using my time productively! Thank you!

[@heyjudywai]

Hello!! Thanks for reaching out! I think it's important to have internships or work experiences related to working in schools (elementary, middle, high). Reach out to counselors and ask them about their job. Look up program descriptions to see what fits and see if you can volunteer or shadow at any schools, clinics, churches, businesses that work with children/students. Ie- I worked as a peer advisor, mentor for foster youth, taught at my church, taught dance, and worked at summer camps. Hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions :)

[@nelsonwong7724]

@@heyjudywai Ah! I see. Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice. This definitely provides me with a direction searching for volunteer/internship positions in the future. I look forward to learning more through your channel (although I'd imagine things are a bit hectic right now with the pandemic).

[@ClaudiaWhitmire]

So glad I came upon your video. I am currently getting my undergraduate in Psychology. I am wanting to go to grad school for school counseling and work in either elementary or middle school when I graduate. Do you have any tips on applying to masters programs for school counseling?

[@praiselew4878]

All of your videos are so helpful :). I was wondering if you went to a CACREP accredited counseling program? Or is going to an accredited program really necessary?

[@heyjudywai]

I attended a CACREP certified university. CACREP certified means they meet specific standards have been evaluated by professors/professionals. I think CACREP certified universities are good because they provide their graduates with a solid understanding of what a comprehensive counseling program should look like. Although not every school site will be “perfect”, at least you will have an understanding of what a good counseling program should look like and strive towards. Hope this helps!!

[@oliviaglaser5477]

Hi! I’m a junior in college right now and I’m going to start applying for my masters in school counseling next fall! I’m having a hard time finding out how competitive programs are. Do you have any insight on how difficult programs are to be admitted into?

[@heyjudywai]

Hi! It's so great that you're thinking of your next steps after graduation. To be honest, I'm not too sure how competitive programs are right now. I always recommend students to make sure that all application requirements are completed (check the program application requirements!). Acceptance rates vary by school. I will say that grad school acceptance rates are different from undergrad in terms of grad schools are not only looking for the right applicants, but the applicants are also looking for the right school for themselves! It's a two-way street, if that makes sense. Let me know if you have more questions! You have time to prepare :) Good luck!

[@karengalicia2331]

Hi! I was wondering if I was admitted to the regular counseling program but wanted to be an LPCC later on would I be able to get certified in the regular counseling program somehow??

[@heyjudywai]

I would look to see if your program offers that option! I went to USD, and they did. You will have to take additional classes and do extra hours in a clinical setting to receive your LPCC so if you graduate with a school counseling degree, you could look at a separate program to get your LPCC. Hope that makes sense..your first step would be to ask your program for the option!

[@cristianarivs]

Hey Judy! I was hoping to get some perspective on this: I’m currently a school psych grad student in the Bay Area and I’m feeling more called to the counseling profession in schools. I’m getting the sense that school counselors get to work with individuals and groups or lead classroom SEL lessons, which sounds right up my ally. I definitely don’t want to be stuck in a testing only role as a school psychologist. Any advice/insight from what you experience at your school?

[@heyjudywai]

I’m happy to connect with you if you have specific questions! I love my job :) and you are right! I do individual sessions, small groups, and whole class lessons..but I also work very closely with my principal and all teachers to provide holistic support to all students and families. We wear many hats but I love what I do!

[@heyjudywai]

I also recommend watching my “day in my life” or “OOTD” video for more insights into my life as a counselor :))

[@a.j.t.2918]

Hi I urgently need your advise! In your opinion which is better bachelor of journalism and mass communication or bachelor of arts(history+political science) in terms of value(degree perspective)

[@heyjudywai]

Hmm I didn’t major in either of those so I don’t have the best insight. I’d think about what your career goals are and which major would provide the most appropriate and relevant coursework/networks!

[@jocywocy]

Hi! I am looking into a graduate program. What is the difference between the PPS and LPCC. I see they have one program that is only PPS.. then I see another program that is LPCC and PPS. What other job opportunities can you do with LPCC? Also, is the PPS only for K-12? My main goal is to become a counselor for higher education.

[@heyjudywai]

Hey :) you need the PPSC to work in a k-12 school setting. A LPCC is your license for clinical work so you can eventually start your own private practice as a therapist or work in clinical settings (juvenile hall, community centers, clinics). If you want to stay in higher Ed, I would look into whether or not your LPCC is required for that position. It varies. A LPCC is helpful though because you take extra courses focused on assessments and clinical work that I wish my PPSC counseling degree gave me. I ended up taking extra online courses on my own to learn more about the clinical side of counseling. Lmk if this makes sense and if you have additional questions!

[@dianed2475]

Hello!! Recently got admitted to USD for the school counseling program and was wondering about the cost!.

[@heyjudywai]

Hey! I think tuition costs change every year...I recommend looking at USD’s tuition and costs website. www.sandiego.edu/soles/financial-aid/tuition-and-financing.php#content-cmhc

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[@deb5787]

I'm currently in my last semester as an senior as an undergraduate with a major in sociology. I want to work with children in a sense of interacting and having one on one with them. But I'm having a hard time knowing what job title I want to do. I definitely want to take a gap year or so before I go back to get my masters. But trying to figure out what job is best for me is hard. That's why I came across your videos. So do you have any tips?

[@heyjudywai]

I’d think about types of jobs you’re interested in. Look at program descriptions, class descriptions, and see if any of them resonate with you. Reach out and interview people already working in your fields of interest to learn more about what that job or major entails. Enjoy the gap year and I hope it’s a meaningful time for you!!

[@briannag9933]

How do you apply to different programs when they all have different prerequisite courses? It’s so complicated and makes me want to quit on school!

[@heyjudywai]

Oh no :( I would focus on 1 program, rather than applying to a variety of different programs! Which ones are you looking into?

[@heyjudywai]

I also recommend creating an excel sheet to track each program’s requirements so it’s more organized and easier to look at!

[@alyshaevans1133]

Was most of the grad program focused solely on writing papers?

[@heyjudywai]

Most of our work was based on hands-on experiences (fieldwork, internships) and all classes required writing papers and reading. Lots of reflections!! XD

[@morganbrown6032]

I’m preparing to interview at CIIS! If anyone has any advice/info on the interview pls comment and lmk!

[@heyjudywai]

Good luck!! ❤️❤️

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